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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 20 March 1913, Page 2

A. distressing case came before tho Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Board yesterday. A "consumptive pa. tient wrote asking for: work, or, if necessary, further sanatoi'ium treatment. He said he was 26 years, of-age, his wife 25, and his son two.. He had had about 11 months' hospital and sanatorium treatment, and derived considerable benefit. Ho was discharged from the Otaki Sanatorium on September ll:h last, and had had no settled work since, only some temporary employment of an unhealthy nature'. Though friends had interested themselves on -his behalf they were unsuccessful in getting work for him. He feared the tubei'culosis was getting the upper hand again in his case. His wife had been operated on for internal trouble, and it was, found to be tuberculosis, while their child'had been weakHy all his life, though he now seemed- to have taken a turn foi-"the better. The man said he was now- endeavouring to place the child in a home where lie would have a chance to grow strong and healthy, which he could not do so long as he remained with two persons who, were more or Iqss tubercular subjects. The man asked for a chance to vfork to maintain his family decently' in healthy surroundings. "I really believe," he added, "that some people would as soon employ :-i leper as a consumptive." The secretary of the Board had. replied, that as no farm colonies were yet established, assistance could not be g'iven. It was decided to communicate with the Public Health Department to see if the man could be admitted to the Cambridge sanatorium and some arrangements made to assist the wife and child.